Recent CBD Enforcement Efforts, Priorities And Policy Outlook

The most recent round of FDA cannabidiol (CBD) warning letters, issued on April 23, 2020, closely follows the agency's enforcement priorities, outlined in its March update, to focus on CBD-containing products that present the "greatest risk" of public harm. FDA cited Biota Biosciences, LLC (Biota) and Homeo Corp DBA Natures CBD Oil Distributions (Homeo) for illegally marketing CBD products to treat opioid addiction and other serious medical conditions (e.g., AIDS, Alzheimer's Disease, Cancer). In its press release, FDA emphasized that it will continue to focus on unfounded treatment claims relating to opioid addiction. Dr. Amy Abernethy, FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner, stated "CBD has not been shown to treat opioid addiction. Opioid addiction is a real problem in our country, and those who are addicted need to seek out proper treatment from a health care provider." Separately, earlier in April, FDA issued warning letters to two CBD companies, Nova Botanix and CBD